I won't be Dammed

I won’t be Dammed

Romaine River were Dam #1 will be built

Mankind is a strange species, throughout history he has shown major flaws in his lack of memory, history as shown us many time before the danger of hydro electric dams to migratory fish and again we forget the great consequence these concrete walls will make in our quest to save the mighty Atlantic salmon. Are memory is quite short indeed when we take a closer look in our past disasters on rivers like the Saint John (NB), Tobique (NB), Jacque Cartier (QC) and Bestiamites (QC) rivers just to name a few.

Mactaquaq dam St John River NB

The Quebec government is planning a big bold economic development called Plan Nord (North Plan); it all seemed like a good plan with economic stimulation and major construction projects in mining, hydro electric, new roads development and so on. But soon the big picture was out and it became evident that some pretty important rivers like the Moisie, Godbout, Saint Jean, Romaine, Petit Mecatina, Pentecôte, Sheldrake and Franquelin rivers would be all affected in some way or the other. These salmon rivers are all precious to our collectivity some are way more important for salmon stocks than other but all of these rivers are still in some way important to the Atlantic salmon survival.

Here we go again

The Moisie is it again being compromised ? some of you may remember the struggle that the Moisie protectors had to endure in the 90 from the plan diversion of the Carheil and Pekan rivers into the Sainte Marguerite River system, Hydro Quebec was fishing for more water to help them out in having more water to produce more electricity. The intense work of the Sept-Iles citizens and APRM stopped this proposed project dead in its tracks. Again the Quebec government announce it will create another 440 MW on the the SM3 Hydro Electric projects that are already built and in production. I wonder how they will do this without diverting any river in the Saint Marguerite system. Yes they are planning to increase by 33 % the MW production on the SM3 system. Another huge threat for the Mighty Moisie is the proposed mining development at lake Kachiwiss and nor any mining project but the mining of URANIUM yes radioactive uranium. Before Christmas the local association called SISUR (Sept Iles Sans Uranium = Sept Iles Without Uranium) made a demonstration to the Quebec population by dumping a natural red dye in the a brook located on the lake Kashiwiss system and within an hour the red tainted water was flowing in the Moisie River.

The Godbout River territory is also another river with great claims of Uranium and the Ashini claims are located near a lake that empties in the Godbout River.

Another river that could be in danger in having it’s water diverted is the Saint Jean located a few km from the Romaine river project that is already in construction since winter 2009/2010. Again you guessed it more water for the Romaine projects, what will happen once the Romaine Hydro Complex is finished and the water level are to low they will need additional water sources and the questionable James Bay methods will surely come in motion and try to divert the precious water from nearby rivers.

 

14 Arpents Falls Pentecôte River (proposed area for the Pentecôte project)

The Pentecôte river is located just a couple of km from my house this river is also in the aim of hydro electric dam promoters, Even after voting against the project and implementing new catch and release rules on this river this winter to make it illegal to call a large salmon on the Pentecôte. Even after all the work we had to endure in protecting this great river and it’s salmon from a potential catastrophe we have the local native band looking to still go forward against the local population and went forward in proposing a 10 MW project in Hydro Quebec small hydro electric dam program (150 MW) We are now waiting if the Pentecôte river will be one of the chosen projects, Hydro Québec had entries for 356 MW of projects and will choose a total of 150 MW from those proposed projects in June.

Another picture of the Pentecôte River 14 Arpents Falls

The Sheldrake and Franquelin rivers are already doomed and they will be dammed, on the Franquelin they began construction this winter and the Sheldrake river works will start this coming summer. The locals wanted the projects and the low salmon counts in these 2 rivers were so low that the government accepted those projects immediately. A positive note on the Sheldrake is the FQSA have interrupted the project and are asking the promoter to build facilities to help bring the salmon upriver above the hydro project and help this species in colonizing the river and its new available system.

We have to make sure that those proposed project are stopped and that the one that are accepted are fully studied to help out the salmon in colonizing extra habitat above the dams and impassable natural barriers. 

Wild Salmon are SACRED we need to take a stand now !

Jocelin LeBlanc